Another way to Fight Back: a ninjago fanfic
by TLFScarheart12
Summary: requested by windblown and battlekidx2. Zane sprains his arm diurring a fight and can't use his arm. Frightened he tries to find another way to help his fellow ninjas. People who have seen episode 7, I'm sticking to my theory that Zane is only part robot.
1. Chapter 1: Injured and Struggling

Skeletons! Skeletons everywhere!

The village was flooded with them. Luckily all the villagers were in a safe place including Nya (much to her disappointment.)

Zane and the others watched from the rooftops figuring out a plan.

"It looks like most of the skeletons are gathering near that vegetable stall," Jay pointed out, "If we jump there using spinjitsu, we should be able to knock out most of them at once. And make the rest of the battle easier. Odds will be more in our favor that way, which is what will…"

"We get it," Kai interrupted, "We need to begin out attack there. NINGAAAGO!"

The fours became tornados of their element and flew towards the stall taking out a dozen or so skeletons on the way.

Jay's plan worked part way. They were able to lower the odds, but they had lost the element of surprise. The skeletons now attacked them head on.

Zane himself was surrounded by 5. He threw his shurikans like boomerangs knocking out 4 of them. But just after he caught his shurikans again, the fifth's one changed him hard into a thick-trunked tree. Zane's world turned black at that point.

"Zane!...ZANE!" Cole's distant voice could be heard through the darkness.

I must have been knocked out, Zane thought. The back of his head and his arm hurt a lot.

Slowly he forced his eyes open. Cole was kneeling above him called his name.

"Good, you're awake," Cole said sounding relieved.

Zane sat up using his good arm. Kai and Jay were standing nearby. The skeletons were gone, probably defeated by the other 3.

"How long was I unconscious," Zane asked.

"About an hour. Are you okay?" Kai asked.

"My arm hurts but I guess I am," Zane replied, "In the very least I can make it back to the dojo."

Zane stood and make his way with the others back to the dojo.

Nothing more happened until dinner time. Kai had made Zane's favorite, unadon, but Zane couldn't get any food into his mouth without a searing pain in his arm. Just picking up his chopstick hurt Zane's elbow.

It didn't take long for the others to see Zane had a problem.

"What's wrong?" Cole asked.

"My arm is still hurting from the battle. That's all," Zane said.

He was trying not to bring too much attention to it.

It worked until that night when he was getting his pajamas on. After putting on his pajama pants, Zane slipped off his shirt, not knowing his door was open a crack.

It was just enough for Kai to catch a glance and shout "HOLY YAKITORI!"

Zane turned wondering what could be sacred about skewered meat.

Kai came in looking shocked and worried, "Zane your arm!"

Zane looked at his injured right arm. The side of the elbow was badly bruised and a bit swollen. It looked similar to how Cole's ankle had looked after fighting the Kaiden.

"Zane! You need to tell us if you're hurting that much. We need to get a doctor to look at that," Kai said, "I'll let the others know what's going on. Get your clothes back on."

Zane nodded and got dressed again.

Before long he was on Kai's dragon on his way to the village.

The doctor reported that Zane had a mild sprain in his elbow. It wasn't too serious and would heal in a few weeks of being in a sling, but he couldn't use his right arm while it healed.

Zane couldn't believe his ears. How could he help the ninjas if he couldn't use his arm?


	2. Chapter 2: Body, Mind, and Heart

Zane left his room the next morning for breakfast feeling sore. His arm was firmly in its sling, but it simply wouldn't stop hurting.

This will make it difficult to train, Zane thought, I'll have to my feet mostly.

He sat down with the others and quickly realized training wasn't his only problem. Rice and miso, or rather the brown stuff Cole had made that somewhat resembled miso soup, was on the table. But, while eating with a sprained arm was painful, eating with chopsticks, when said arm in a sling, was impossible.

The ninjas had apparently thought ahead for him though. Cole had set up his breakfast so that there were two spoons by his left hand.

When Zane questioned about the politeness of this method the reply was "You need to eat Zane. We won't mind you spooning everything until your arm heals."

After breakfast Zane started to follow the others out, but was stopped by Jay.

"Not with your arm. You'll just damage it more,"

"But I was planning to use my feet to fight," Zane protested.

"If you get knocked down that won't matter. You'll still risk making your sprain worse, and then it will take longer to heal," said Jay, "Sorry but this is coming from Sensei not from me."

Zane sighed. He couldn't disobey Sensei Wu.

Zane stood there. A sense of fear washed over him. While it no longer drove him to run away, he felt this way anytime he wasn't able to help.

"I'm not useless," he told himself firmly, "This is only temporary. They would always come to find me…"

"Of course they would," Sensei Wu's voice interrupted him from behind.

Zane turned to face the elderly Spinjitsu master.

"Now is not the time to feel guilt or remorse. Your situation is different now, and you need to fight back," Sensei Wu said.

"Fight back? I beg your pardon, Sensei, but I cannot train, let alone fight," said Zane.

"Your injury has left you so you can't fight with your body. But a person is more than muscle bone and skin. They have a mind…and a heart," Sensei said gently tapping Zanes head and chest with his bamboo pole, "all three of these are needed to help win against Lord Garmadon."

Sensei then went outside to help the others.

Zane stood there reflecting Sensei Wu's words. How could his mind and heart help his fellow ninjas win?

Zane went to his room and sat down legs crossed. He often sat like this when deep in thought. It seemed to help clear his mind and focus.

He first thought about using his heart. Sensei Wu had most likely meant his feelings and kindness. Zane had long been using these to help him build strong friendships with the others. Did Sensei Wu mean teamwork? Supporting each other?

Zane's mind drifted to breakfast when the ninjas had allowed him to go beyond even his own usual level of abnormality in order for him to eat while keeping his sprain protected.

It became clear. Sensei Wu meant continuing to support his team even if he wasn't actively fighting alongside of them.

But mind? Zane's first thought was his sixth sense, but he had not sensed anything major lately. Mostly things relating the other's moods. Things he sensed every day. There was no need to report them, unless he felt that the emotion had an underlying problem that wasn't being confessed.

No. This time sixth sense was not the issue at hand.

Than what was?

Perhaps there was a question that needed an answer, a fact that could help protect Ninjago.

That had to be it! He just needed to know where to look!

Zane's concentration was broken by the sound of the others coming in.

Zane stood and walked out joining the others.

"Hey Zane! How's your arm feeling?" Kai asked.

"It still hurts, but I have a question," Zane said, "If you were to think of one thing that would give us an edge on Lord Garmadon and his skeleton army, what would it be?"

"Uh…good question…" Cole stumbled, "Give us a moment to think."

"Take your time," said Zane.

After about 10 minutes, Jay said, "I think what would help us out most would be some way to make it harder for them to get into our world in the first place. Give us more of a breather in between fights. More time to practice. Less risking our lives, less fear from the villagers, more time to…"

"What he's trying to say is, the Skeletons have been popping up more these past few months. It needs to slow down, if not stop all together." said Cole, cutting Jay off.

Zane nodded, "Thank you that's all I need to know."


	3. Chapter 3: The Island of Scrolls

The next day, Zane woke up early. The sun was only just starting to come up. He silently dressed and packed on extra outfit into a traveler's bag. He then slipped down the kitchen and packed a few days' worth of food. He also made breakfast and set it on the table. With it he left a note.

Kay, Jay, Cole, and Sensei Wu  
>I didn't want to be stopped so I left early this morning. I've gone to find some answers. Don't worry. My plan won't put my arm at risk of further injury. Don't look for me unless 3 days go by without me giving some sort of update.<br>-Zane

With that he ate his own breakfast and walked outside. The sun was only just starting to warm the air

His mission was simple. Found out how the skeletons teleported between the underworld and Ninjago, and tell the others so the process could be stopped, or at least slowed down.

He, along with Cole and Jay had only gotten a glimpse of how it was done. The strange vehicles the skeletons had disappeared after reaching a certain speed. The only other ways they could get to Ninjago was through the fire temple, which the skeletons rarely used since it was too far from their camps, and through dragons which the skeletons didn't have.

Zane walked up to his own dragon and woke it gently by stroking its neck. The dragon stirred and sniffed worriedly at Zane's sling.

"It's alright. Just a sprain," Zane assured it, "I need your help. I need to know more about dragons. Can you take me someplace to learn?"

The ice dragon crouched down and used his nose to help Zane climb on without further injuring himself.

The dragon then took off flying at a gentle pace. Zane held on with his good arm, his eyes focused on what was ahead. Where was his dragon taking him?

The answer was a small island. The dragon dove flying threw a large tori gate that was in the water and landing beside a shrine.

Zane climbed off slowly and looked around. This place felt odd. Most religious places gave off a strange feeling to him anyway, but this was different. He could sense power here. Wisdom. This was a place of legend.

Zane turned back to his dragons saying, "This place is like no other I've been too. What makes it different is what I'm looking for isn't it?"

The dragon nodded.

"Show me the way," Zane requested.

The dragon pointed to a large painting. It showed dragons going in and out of the underworld, just as Kai and Nya had told them. Zane's Dragon stepped closer and breathed on the painting. The wall opened revealing a room full of scrolls. The dragon then nudged Zane inside.

Zane looked around. The knowledge of these scrolls was knowledge of the dragons. He could sense it. One of them had to tell how to go between Ninjago and the underworld. If only he could sense which one it was. He poured through them scroll after scrool.

Finally one contained the answer. Zane tucked it away and walked outside.

Then, the ninja of ice froze in his tracks. Surrounding him now were skeletons.

Out of habit Zane reached for his shurikans. But then he remembered he only had one good arm. Spinjitsu or no, he could defeat this many alone with only one arm able to fight.

"Let's get out of here!" he said, quickly getting onto this dragon. But the skeletons just hopped only more strange vehicles, and much to Zane's surprise flew after him.

"Try to lose them!" Zane commanded his dragon.

The dragon looked back at Zane putting its nose by his sprained arm.

"If they catch up, I'll have more than a mild sprain that will need healing," Zane reminded it.

The dragon nodded and started to fly faster. Zane held on tight wondering how long the pursuit would last.


	4. Chapter 4: Planes vs Dragons

Zane's dragon did several swoops through mountains and around clouds in attempt to lose its enemy. But the strange planes the skeletons were in continued to follow. It mimicked the dragon's moves exactly most of the time.

Zane then saw in the distance the dojo.

"Don't fly home," he said, "Send them a warning."

The dragon let out a long cone of ice down on the dojo. That would certainly get the other's attention.

However the pause in order to do such gave the skeletons the advantage. They began to swoop dangerously close the dragon who was barely able to dodge. Finally one plane hit the dragon's wing hard which jostled Zane off the dragon's back.

Zane managed to grab one of the dragon's talons with his good arm. The ground was far below him and he didn't have Jay's artificial wings on him.

Meanwhile, the planes began to swoop distractingly, and his hand began to lose its grip. He tried to grab on with his other arm but the sling, and the pain prevented it.

Zane's hand finally gave out and he plummeted down.

Down.

Down.

SWOOSH!

Zane found himself landing on Cole's lap.

"Hello Zane. Glad you could drop by," said Cole, who seemed unable to resist the cliché joke.

Zane shook his head quickly and looked around to get his bearings. Cole was on his own dragon. Zane's dragon was high above. Zane felt his clothes and was relieved to find the scroll still safe in his inner shirt pocket.

"Thank you," said Zane, "you saved my life."

"We aren't out of the woods yet. I know you only have one good arm, but hang on tight." Cole responded as his dragon climbed to join the battle with the planes and the others and their dragons.

"Those machines can copy our dragon's flight patterns," Zane warned, flipping behind Cole so Cole could direct his dragon better, "you can't outfly them. I tried."

"Maybe not," said Jay, "but let's see them copy this."

The dragons let out their elemental breaths. Dirt clogged the engines of some of the planes thanks to Cole's dragon. Other caught fire from Kai's dragon, and the rest fell to being short circuited by Jay's dragon. As the skeletons struggled to control their planes and do an emergency landing, the ninjas flew home to the dojo.

Cole helped Zane off his dragon to avoid further injury to his sprain.

"You really gave us a scare by leaving with only a note with next to no explanation, Zane. Where in Ninjago did you go?" Jay asked.

"I left to try to find out how the skeletons were crossing from the underworld and back. I have to say I'm a bit surprised you didn't follow me," Zane answered.

"We wanted to, but Sensei told us to do as your note asked and wait a few days. Why didn't you ask us to come?" Kai asked.

"This was something I wanted to do myself, to make myself feel better about this," Zane told them moving his injured arm a little.

Zane then pulled out the scroll and continued," I found out how dragons cross. Given that those machines we fought just now could copy a dragon's flight, I suspect they use the same technique to crossover. Jay, can you do anything with this?"

He handed the scroll to Jay, who opened it and glanced through it.

"If I can confiscate a vehicle at some point, I should be able to get a better look and compare it to what's written here. From there, yes, I can disable the ability to cross over worlds. It would be one difficult mission though. And dangerous," Jay said.

"So long as it can be done, then, as you said, Ninjago will be a little bit safer," said Zane, "we have a way to fight back."

"Thanks to you we do," Cole smiled at him.

Zane could only smile back.

Foot note to windblown and battlekidx2: Thanks for the suggestion you two. I still can't believe both of you asked for the same thing. :P


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